Vietnam & Cambodia: A Trip Full of Contrasts, Memories, and a Sore Knee

After our Vietnam and Cambodia journey, Hanoi was the place I kept coming back to in my mind. We had seen temples, markets, beaches and several airports, with an injured knee adding its own running commentary. Looking back, the strongest memories were not always the sights I had expected to become favourites.

Hanoi: Nostalgia and New Discoveries

Maybe because I grew up in East Germany, but Hanoi felt strangely familiar. The city was decked out in red flags for the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War—everywhere you looked, banners fluttered and slogans blazed. It brought back memories of my own youth, when communist doctrine wasn’t just history but daily reality. Walking around Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, with its vast, orderly squares and stern government buildings, I almost felt like I was back in the GDR, waiting for a parade or a speech from the Party. It was a mix of nostalgia, weird comfort, and a bit of unease.

That familiarity was only one part of Hanoi. The Old Quarter, food stalls and Hoan Kiem Lake gave the days a very different energy. The Temple of Literature was a particular highlight. Our first and second Hanoi diaries tell those days in more detail.

Ninh Binh: Nature’s Tranquility (and a Bit of FOMO)

Ninh Binh stayed with me for the limestone scenery and the boat journey at Trang An. Sitting still and looking at those cliffs should have been the gentler part of the trip, although the boat bench had opinions about my back. That first day also taught us the limits of squeezing in one more sight.

Then there was the climb at Hang Mua and my injured knee. I liked Ninh Binh enough to want more time there, but I would plan a less demanding pace. The places we missed did not stop the landscape from becoming one of our favourite memories.

Hoi An: Lanterns and Tourists

Hoi An gave us lantern-lit streets, cafés, good meals and time to slow down. It was also busy with visitors, particularly around the holiday crowds. Both sides were part of our experience: we could enjoy the town and still find the busiest evenings tiring.

My birthday there was a lovely day—beach, cake and three lanterns for our home. I do not have to put Hoi An first on a return list to appreciate what those days gave us.

Da Nang: Not My Kind of Beach

Da Nang suited us less on this visit. We saw the broad beach and its high-rise backdrop, went to Han Market, and split the Marble Mountains visit: Lizz explored while I rested below. Our short stay was shaped by the pace of the trip and my knee as well as the city itself.

For this particular journey, it worked better as a stop along the route than as a favourite destination. That is a personal response, not a rule about who should go there.

Saigon: Big, Bold, and a Bit Overwhelming

In Saigon we saw the cathedral under renovation, the Central Post Office, busy markets and the skyline after dark. Rain changed one day into a shopping day, while Binh Tay Market gave our last morning a different character.

There were enjoyable visits, but the city did not leave me with the same pull to return as Hanoi. By the end of a long trip, energy matters too. I was ready to go home rather than try to understand another large city in a few days.

Cambodia: Bucket List Ticked

Angkor was the long-held dream finally made real. Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm gave that day three very different characters. The heat, my stomach and the injuries made it demanding, but they did not erase what it meant to be there after more than 30 years of wanting to visit.

Phnom Penh left us with the river after dark, a closed palace gate, a shopping mall and a sense that we had arrived with too little background knowledge. I was glad to have visited Cambodia, but our short stay did not give me grounds to sum up the country. My later reflection is more about that limitation than about rating a destination.

Final Thoughts

Was it a worthwhile trip? Absolutely. Good meals, the birthday lanterns and smaller everyday moments belong in the memory alongside the famous sights.

I would return to Vietnam. For Cambodia, I would first want to give the planning—and the visit—more time.

The main practical lesson was to leave room in the plan. For rest, for weather and for the possibility that your knee may have a different itinerary. I would happily keep the memories and change a few of the decisions that produced the aches.